Homes and Communities Agency – Manor Kingsway Hospital demolition

Asbestos Removal and Demolition Works at Manor Kingsway Hospital, Derby.

Connell Brothers were appointed as demolition contractors for the demolition of a large number of disused buildings at the Victorian era former Manor Kingsway Hospital in Derby. The site was located on the outskirts of Derby and within the working hospital grounds, with hospital facilities in very close proximity to the demolition area. Adjacent to the works was the ambulance centre which required 24 hour a day clear access.

The buildings were primarily of brick cavity wall construction with slate covered pitched timber roofs and ranged between single storey and two storeys in height. There were also some more modern buildings of similar construction together with a 100 foot brick chimney located serving the boiler house and located in close proximity to the live ambulance station.

Due to the condition and type of construction of the buildings bats were of great concern. Throughout the works bat surveys were undertaken and the works were sequenced so as to avoid any possible bat disturbance. A large number of ducts containing a variety of services ran underneath the buildings and connected each building together. Although drawings were available the exact extent of these ducts was unknown. Asbestos surveys of the buildings and ducts had identified the presence of asbestos in numerous forms throughout the structure and a rigorous regime of removal works was undertaken. A programme of asbestos removal was produced identifying 12 separate sections containing a total of 55 separate areas for removal works. These works were then carried out on a section by section basis with each individual area within a section being cleared before the entire section was handed back to the demolition team. These removal works were carried out by Connell Brothers in-house asbestos removal specialists and the sequencing was rigorously controlled by our Site Manager to ensure all areas were cleared and certified as safe to reoccupy before demolition commenced.

Following the removal of the asbestos to a section demolition could proceed. Where possible the slate tiles were removed by operatives prior to the demolition commencing for re-use. Demolition of the main buildings was undertaken by a number of different excavators equipped with a wide variety of demolition attachments. Connell Brothers own a wide variety of different sized excavators with a large number of attachments which enabled them to effectively demolish the structures by always having the right sized excavator with the right attachment on site. By utilising this extensive fleet of plant efficient demolition and segregation of materials was achieved which greatly reduced the amount of material sent to landfill.

Following the demolition of the main buildings the 100 foot brick chimney was demolished by the use of a high reach excavator. The arrisings from the building demolition were utilised to form a ramp to enable the excavator to reach the top of the chimney. The excavator then carefully demolished the chimney by systematically removing segments of brickwork and working the chimney down to ground level. This process ensured that the bricks would fall to ground level around the chimney in a controlled manner and there would be no effect on the ambulance station that was in close proximity.

Once all the structures had been demolished to ground floor level the ground floor slabs and ducts could be demolished. Although drawings were available these did not identify all the ducts on the site and therefore before each slab was removed the location of these ducts was plotted. The ducts connecting the buildings together were also recorded prior to removal to ensure a full record was available to the client at completion. There were also a number of cellars and pits discovered during the course of the works. These were also recorded and backfilled with selected demolition materials.

Upon completion of the project the entire site was graded to provide the client with a safe hazard free site for future redevelopment.

This particular project required a high level of co-ordination with numerous different parties regarding the issues associated with bats, extensive asbestos materials and unknown ducts and pits. By working closely with the entire client team and working together to develop an effective and cost efficient strategy the works were completed to the satisfaction of all parties.